From the start, Ahimsa has chosen to walk a path carved by their beliefs: To question habits, inspire change, without harm, and with complete respect for all forms of life.

The idea to found Ahimsa was born out of necessity felt by its founder Gabriel Silva, a vegan himself who was unable to find vegan shoes that had visual appeal, comfort and were also made ethically considering the environment and the workers. Most vegan shoes are made of synthetic materials, which in turn are made mostly from oil residues. That did not seem right for him. From there a long process of research was started to find sustainable materials to make a whole product line. Throughout this process, Gabriel was helped by his father, Cisso Silva, who has been in the shoe market for over 30 years.

The father-and-son duo started Ahimsa by outsourcing production for a small line-up of products in their first 6 months. But after that initial run and the positive reaction to the products, they decided to step up their game, starting their own, all-vegan shoe factory.

Today, Ahimsa continues to produce high-quality, stylish shoes using durable, sustainable materials while employing old-world tradition. They family-run factory pays fair wages to their workers and has brought a thriving industry to the region, keeping cruelty to animals out of the mix at every step. Even the trash is recycled, including leftover canvas that is collected and made into new materials (without reusing water).